Photographic printing apparatus



' Sept. 11, 1934.

A. G. DENIS 1,973,470

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING APPARATUS Filed Ma 11, 1931 Armand Georges Denis,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1.9%,470 PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING APPARATUS Armand Georges Denis, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 11, 1931, Serial No. 536,477

' Claims. (Cl. 95 75) My invention relates to motion picture printling the printing of continuous films in such a ing apparatus, and particularly to apparatus of manner that each successive frame of the posithe automatic or semi-automatic type. In gentive shall receive asubstantially identical amount eral it relates to apparatus of the type disclosed of illumination, irrespective of the density of the 5 in my co-pending application Serial No. 532,159 corresponding negative frame. 643

filed April 23, 1931, for controlling the printing Another object of my invention is to provide of a negative in such a manner that uniform apparatus for printing motion picture film in exposures are given each frame, regardless of which a radiation sensitive element controls the variations in the density of successive negative modulation of a light beam in accordance with frames. -the amount of light transmitted by the negative My present invention is primarily directed to being printed in such a way that the light transprinting apparatus in which the source of illumitted by the negative remains substantially mination is maintained at substantially constant constant irrespective of the density of the intensity and in which the amount of illuminanegative.

.tion falling on the negative at the printing gate Other objects and advantages of my invention 70 is varied by interposing between the source of will be apparent from the following description light and the printing gate a mechanical shutter when read in connection with the accompanying or diaphragm of variable openings. In my above drawing and its scope will be pointed out in the identified co-pending application a radiation appended claims.

sensitive element measures directly the intensity The single figure of the drawing illustrates 75 of the illumination reaching the positive film, schematically an automatic printer in which my 'or a quantity rigidily proportional to it and so invention is incorporated. The light from a fixed controls the modulation of the light source that source 10 is adapted to be collected by a lens 11 the element operates at substantially constant which forms an aerial image of the light source r ad g. at the aperture 12 and a lens 13 concentrates the 801 The present invention, while utilizing this same light on a diffusing member 14 positioned in front general method, is intended to disclose an appaof a printing gate 15. A negative film 16 and a ratus which permits the use as a source of light positive film 1'7 are adapted to be moved together of any lamp, which may be of high intensity continuously and at a uniform rate past the gate and may be operated at a constant level. The 15 for exposure to the printing light. The diffusadvantages of such a source of light will be clear ing member 14 causes uniform illumination at the from the following description. gate 15 which is preferably of a width equal to a The use of a source of illumination of constant frame and one frame line. intensity, modulated mechanically, at once ob- A split sprocket wheel 30 of a well known type .35 viates the difiiculty which may result from the mounted on a shaft 31, adapted to be uniformly changes of spectral-distribution of the light driven by any suitable mechanism (not shown) which characteristically accompanies direct directs the negative and positive films 16 and 17 modulation in the most desirable sources of light, through the printing position. The printing gate and notably in the tungsten lamps. Mechanical 15 is defined by shields 32 opaque to actinic light.

40 modulation of a constant source results in no The portions of the shields 32 adjacent the gate change in spectral-distribution; the intensity 15 may be made of material which. will transmit variation of the light in any region of the specnon-actinic light if it is desired to make available trum may therefore be used as a direct measure to the light sensitive element 18 a greater amount of the variation of actinic intensity, and any of measuring light. The size of the printing gate 45 light sensitive element may be used as a measur 15 and the rate of movement of the films 16 and ing element. 17 being constant, it is evident that the time, dur- It is an object of my invention to provide ing which any given portion of the positive film 1'7 printing apparatus which will instantaneously is exposed, is constant and since, as hereinafter and aut ma i y r late the radiant energy described, the intensity of the light falling on the 50 level incident on the negative in such a manner positive film is maintained constant, there is no that the radiant energy transmitted by the n'egaopportunity for failure of the law of reciprocity tive is maintained at a substantially constant to produce deleterious effects in the printing. level. A light sensitive element 18 which may be a Another object of my invention is to provide photo-cell is placed to receive radiation transmit- 5 a method and means for automatically controlted by the negative and positive being printed.

The photo-cell 18 is polarized by the batteries 19 and 20 and coupled through the resistance 21 to the input circuit of a vacuum tube 22. The vacuum tube 22 is so polarized," by connection of its cathode midway between the batteries 19 and 20 that its impedance is caused to change from a very high value to a low value by variations in the potential drop across the resistance 21 negligible in comparison with the total voltage drop across the resistance 21. In other words, the tube 22 is so connected that its impedance is controlled by the amount of illumination falling on the light sensitive element 18 and a small departure of this amount of illumination from its predetermined level is suflicient to vary the grid cathode potential of the tube 22 through its critical range, and small changes in illumination will result in large changes in the plate current of the tube 22 as fully explained in my above identified co-pending application.

In series with the plate circuit of the tube 22 is the usual B battery 23 and a solenoid 24 which is adapted to control the movement of an armature 25 for varying the size of aperture 12 in accordance with the plate current and efiectively controls and modulates the admission of light from the source 10 to the diffusing member 14 and is so adjusted that when the illumination falling on the light sensitive element 18 tends to be slightly in excess of that found to correspond to correct printing at the gate 15, and the plate current of the tube 22 consequently tends to fall below a certain value, this fall of plate current results in the armature 25 being rapidly displaced in a direction which decreases the admission of light to the printing gate 15; while if the illumination falling on the light sensitive element 18 tends to become less than that found to correspond to correct printing at gate 15 and the plate current of tube 22 consequently tends to increase above a certain value, this increase of plate current results in the armature 25 being rapidly displaced in a direction which increases the admission of light to. the printing gate 15. The armature 25 is biased to wide open aperture position by suitable means such as a spring (not shown).

The solenoid 24 is so designed that movement of the armature from a position at which the aperture is completely uncovered to a position at which the aperture is completely masked, results from a change in the impedanceof the tube 22 from a high value to a relatively low value. As has been previously explained this change of impedance of the tube 22 results from negligibly small variations of illumination at the printing gate.

In the operation of the system, therefore, irre-' tive, can only vary by a negligible amount from a pre-determined value, at whichfthe potential drop across the resistance 21 brings the grid of the tube '22 within the critical grid cathode potential range.- If the position of the armature allowed too much light to fall on the positive film, the photo-current through the sensitive ele- -ment 18 would increase appreciably; the potenadjustment need be made than to provide a suithigh value. The plate current through the tube 22 would thus fall to a low value, and the decrease of the current through the solenoid would allow its armature to diminish the aperture, thus decreasing the illumination transmitted to the difiusing member 14.

The printer'above described is of the continuous type and it will be obvious, if it is desired to use a step by step printer, that no other able shutter mechanism for occluding the printing light during the movement of the film. When using a step by step printer I prefer to employ a shutter made of some material opaque to actinic light but, so far as possible, transparent to radiations to which the light sensitive element is sensitive in order to minimize the disturbance of adjustment of the armature 25 of the solenoid 24. With a caesium cell, for instance, used as the light sensitive element, a transparent red or yellow shutter while as efiective as an opaque shutter in cutting off actinic light from the film during the operation of the pull-down mechanism, allows almost as much measuring light to fall on the cell during the passage of the shutter as during the printing period and is extremely efiective both in accelerating the adjustment of the control mechanism to the required level and in minimizing the swinging of the armature 25 resulting from each passage of the shutter. 105

A composite shutter which, while alternately allowing and preventing the passage of actinic light, maintains a constant absorption factor for the light afiecting the light sensitive device is still more effective and may be used.

Since in my invention the source of light is not modulated directly it may be energized entirely from the mains, and the wattage is not limited, as in the case of direct modulation, by considerations of practical amplifier design. 115 High intensities are thus possibleywhich is of advantage in increasing the speedof printing or the range of negative density which may be covered. High intensities of measuring light by tensity to a low level, while freely transmitting the measuring light may also be obtained, permitting the use of a less sensitive measuring element. Since the lamp is operated at constant wattagethere is in the method here described no problem connected with the heat capacity of the filaments tending to introduce an unde-' sirable time factor. The inertiafof the mechanical modulating system on the other hand introduces mechanical lag, and this for satisfactory operation must be kept at a very low value. The mechanical modulating system described requires but little power and permits an amplifier design of great simplicity and economy; an automatic control systemmay thus be, built which.

while it has the advantage of flexibility, senregulation, and freedom from adjustment which characterize the use of the measuring element operated at constant reading, is neverthelesssimple and inexpensive.

Wherever the term actinic light is used herein, it is meant to-embrace, as it does in ordinary photographic literature, mainly the shorter wave lengths of the spectrum such as violet, blue and. blue-green, to which most positive emulsions are largely sensitive. The term non-actinic light is used to denote the longer wavelengths of the spectrum to which most films are relatively insensitive. These wave lengths this art without departing from the spirit of my Invention or the scope of the claims herein.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by I Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Photographic printing apparatus for controlling the exposure given a sensitized layer through a photographic record, comprising a light source of constant intensity, an optical system for directing a beam of light from said source to said photographic record, means in said system for varying the amount of light reaching said record, a light sensitive element positioned to be activated by a constant proportion of the light transmitted by said record, amplifying means for controlling said light varying means and so connected with said light sensitive element that negligibly small variations in the amount of light transmitted by said record results in large variations in the said light varying means.

2. Means for controlling the printing of a photographic record on a sensitive layer, com-' prising means for continuously advancing the record and the layer through a printing position, a source of light, a first lens for producing an aerial image of the light source and a second lens for concentrating the light on a diffusing member positioned in front of said printing position, movable means for variably occluding the aerial image from said second lens, a light sensitive element positioned to be activated continuously by light transmitted by said record and said layer at the printing position and operative through an amplifier to control the movement of said movable means, said amplifier being so connected that a small change in either direction in the response of said sensitive element produces a relatively large movement, in an opposite direction, of

said movable means, whereby changes in the 3. Photographic printing apparatus of the variable intensity-constant time type comprising a source of light of constant intensity, optical means for directing a beam of light from said source to a printing window, adjustable means for varying the intensity of the beam of light falling on the printing window, driving means for continuously advancing a photographic record and a sensitized layer past said window,

a thermionic amplifier having its plate circuit connected with said adjustable means, and means for varying the grid potential of said amplifier in accordance with the intensity of the light transmitted by said record at said window, whereby negligibly small changes in intensity of the light transmitted by said record results in relatively large changes in the opposite sense in the intensity of the light falling on said record at the printing window.

4. The combination with apparatus for exposing a sensitized layer to light passed through a photographic record, of means for directing a beam of light to the record, means for translating the intensity of the exposing light transmitted by the record into a corresponding electric potential, an electrical circuit controlled by said potential and electro-mechanical means in said circuit '{or varying the intensity of said beam of light, the complete arrangement forming a photo-electric governor operative to maintain substantially constant at a predetermined value said electric potential, whereby the exposing light falling on said layer is of a predetermined intensity.

5. Photographic printing apparatus including a source of light, an element responsive to light, an exposure window between said source and said element, means for directing an image bearing film past said window, means for directing a beam of light from said source upon said window whereby said element is activated by light transmitted by said film, adjustable means for varying the intensity of said beam of light, a self-balancing photo-electric circuit arrangement including said element, said adjustable means and said variable light beam for maintaining at a constant level the intensity of the light falling on said ele- 'ment, and means for adjusting the level at which said circuit is self-balancing.

ARMAND GEORGES DENIS. 

